The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the East Midlands has published the findings of its first inquiry of the new parliament in advance of the 2025 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR). The region continues to see below average investment in economic affairs, education, health, housing and other key sectors. Its MPs collectively believe the new government needs to address this historic trend.

Chair of the East Midlands APPG James Naish MP said:
“The job of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the East Midlands is to help ‘shine a light’ on the key issues of relevance to all of the region’s parliamentarians, and then to use collective influence to affect positive change.

“The data is clear – the region hasn’t seen its fair share of investment historically, an this needs to change.

“In this inquiry, we wanted to focus on some of the key challenges facing the region in the run-up to the Comprehensive Spending Review which will set budgets for the rest of this parliament.”

“Underpinning all our discussions as a group of parliamentarians and local government representatives was the scale of the opportunities for economic and housing growth across the East Midlands. This can be partly realised by removing blockages and bottlenecks in the planning system, but we also need to address the historically low
levels of investment in the East Midlands which demonstrably limits the region’s wider economic contribution.”

The APPG’s report sets out five recommendations aimed at addressing the region’s long-term challenges including changes to the national funding criteria for transport and flood defence schemes.

It also highlights a limited number of specific spending priorities:

• Transport schemes for construction: Midland Main Line Electrification, LincolnNottingham Line Speed Improvements, A46 Newark Bypass, A38 Derby Junctions, A5 Gibbet Hill junction and M1 Junction 28.
• Transport schemes for development: Coventry-Leicester-Nottingham Rail Enhancement, M1 Junction 24, A5 (M69-M42) Strategic Enhancement, and A1 (Peterborough-Blyth) Strategic Enhancement.
• Establishing a pilot program of enhanced ‘Employment Hubs’ in the East Midlands, devolving skills, careers and business support funding to meet the particular needs of local employers and people.
• Expanding the network of ‘Women’s Health Hubs’ to cover the whole East Midlands, starting in Nottinghamshire.
• An immediate cash boost for flood defence maintenance and renewal across the East Midlands.

James Naish MP continued: “The East Midlands has the potential to play a far bigger role in the UK’s economic ambitions, but only if the government unlocks this potential with fairer investment and more targeted support.

“Our recommendations are practical, deliverable and build on strong regional evidence. We urge ministers to take these ideas forward in the 2025 CSR.”

A copy of the full report is available below: